Halstead firefighters to attempt highest ladder pitch on Ben Nevis

A team of 11 firefighters are on a mission to achieve the UK's highest ladder pitch by climbing up Ben Nevis while wearing 15kg (33lb) of fire kit.

Tom Easter and 10 colleagues from Halstead Fire Station, in Essex, will attempt the feat on 18 May.

The group plan to don firefighting tunics, trousers, gloves, boots and helmets, Mr Easter said.

"The record itself is not going to be recorded - we're doing it unofficially," said the 31-year-old.

The crew will aim to begin the hike up Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in Scotland, from 06:30 BST and reach the summit to pitch the ladder five hours later.

Mr Easter, an on-call firefighter, said the idea began when the crew were thinking of a team-building activity to complete together. The aspiration to break the record was included to make the day more enjoyable.

"When we were researching challenges like this, we couldn't find anyone that had done something with a ladder and thought it might be fun to do," he said.

The team has raised more than £4,800 for The Fire Fighters Charity since training efforts began.

Training had taken place in the form of playing squash and hiking when possible.

Mr Easter said the crew had carried a ladder and all their kit to a pub two-and-a-half miles (4km) away to get a feel for the challenge ahead.

He added: "We're all really looking forward to getting to the top with the ladder, pitching it and being the first people to climb that ladder at that height," he added.

"It will be a real sense of achievement for the entire team."

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